tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78482140776293480982018-08-28T05:04:18.000-04:00kirsten's photo a dayquite simply, a visual record of what happens with one woman + her camera every single daykirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-56209843275133268512013-05-17T22:09:00.002-04:002013-05-17T22:10:40.286-04:00A little more catch-up ...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748698644/" title="processed_kirsten_02272013_0049_wm by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_02272013_0049_wm" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/8748698644_b7b4a8b47b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748704922/" title="processed_kirsten_03082013_0093_wm by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_03082013_0093_wm" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/8748704922_5ce62122e4_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748705408/" title="processed_kirsten_03092013_0033_wm by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_03092013_0033_wm" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7303/8748705408_610ed9a03d_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747584755/" title="processed_kirsten_03102013_0064_wm by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_03102013_0064_wm" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8267/8747584755_e486c725c1_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747595515/" title="processed_kirsten_03292013_0002 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_03292013_0002" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/8747595515_f97cfc2eb5_b.jpg" width="683" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748721868/" title="processed_kirsten_04042013_0177 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04042013_0177" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8748721868_529866586f_b.jpg" width="683" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748725940/" title="processed_kirsten_04102013_0001 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04102013_0001" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/8748725940_e09fd09b24_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747605361/" title="processed_kirsten_04182013_0097 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04182013_0097" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8747605361_ddbde524c9_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748730914/" title="processed_kirsten_04242013_0026 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04242013_0026" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8748730914_839114d2f8_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748731924/" title="processed_kirsten_04242013_0060 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04242013_0060" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8748731924_826d187222_b.jpg" width="683" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747610121/" title="processed_kirsten_04262013_0058 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04262013_0058" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8558/8747610121_f2a2de12bd_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8748739414/" title="processed_kirsten_04262013_0424 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_04262013_0424" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/8748739414_6366b0ba60_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747618451/" title="processed_kirsten_042913_0034 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_042913_0034" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8747618451_517f9eca2f_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8747619479/" title="processed_kirsten_05022013_0051 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_kirsten_05022013_0051" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/8747619479_ef0a25f3cc_b.jpg" width="683" /></a> </div>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-91035152551359264382013-02-22T10:29:00.002-05:002013-02-23T20:01:23.213-05:00Recent Work<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7805697964/" title="pederson family shoot by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7805697964_89ef65d8f5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="pederson family shoot"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7805699732/" title="pederson family shoot by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7805699732_695104c13f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="pederson family shoot"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7967939756/" title="processed_kirsten_090912_0088 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7967939756_b8edcc09aa_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_090912_0088"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8173826654/" title="processed_kirsten_111012_0034 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8173826654_a9a8716942_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_111012_0034"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8291606801/" title="processed_kirsten_121712_0246_bw by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8291606801_15a69c1bf9_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_121712_0246_bw"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8445071563/" title="processed_kirsten_020113_0010 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8445071563_78f983f254_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_020113_0010"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8446162578/" title="processed_kirsten_020213_0023 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8323/8446162578_739443fb7d_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_020213_0023"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8422755650/" title="processed_kirsten_012613_0142 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8422755650_c054fb5107_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_012613_0142"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8497087643/" title="processed_kirsten_02212013_0050 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8497087643_8444ef6853_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_02212013_0050"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8497086901/" title="processed_kirsten_021413_0039 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8085/8497086901_cdb3302ab0_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_021413_0039"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8460386502/" title="processed_kirsten_020913_0031_bw by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8233/8460386502_450f3ab1c5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_020913_0031_bw"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8422750864/" title="processed_kirsten_012613_0017 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8422750864_0971057b3d_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_012613_0017"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8392942822/" title="processed_kirsten_011613_0113 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8392942822_f87a0e4b33_b.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="processed_kirsten_011613_0113"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8392935844/" title="processed_kirsten_011213_0093 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8392935844_935e5560d7_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_011213_0093"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/8355446011/" title="processed_kirsten_122512_0108 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8355446011_a696c8537f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="processed_kirsten_122512_0108"></a></div>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-86357590227937255932012-06-19T21:10:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:14:51.408-04:00Holy Moly.<div>I've got some serious catching up to do. As it turns out, teething babies don't go well with almost anything -- but they especially don't go well with plans to get things done, apparently. (Or sleep, for that matter).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7367194674_854fde31e6_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7367194674_854fde31e6_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11 June 2012<br />Does this help make up for it ... just a little??</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />I'm going to be posting the photos I've taken (and they will show up as being posted on the date they were taken, meaning that all except for today's photo will show up prior to this post), but without the personal editorial ... which, if you know me, is just as important as the image itself. But because I'm sleep deprived, I'm going to grant myself this little concession.</div><br />Oy!kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-81479899202516093192012-06-18T21:29:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:41:32.063-04:00Every now and then, I catch glimpses of the little girl she is becoming.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404983878/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061812_0004 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061812_0004" height="683" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/7404983878_35596261e7_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 400<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-23124808840842428062012-06-17T21:27:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:27:51.208-04:00Father's Day<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404973352/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061712_0142 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061712_0142" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7404973352_8e2b53d1b3_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.0<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 800<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-59653081010627868312012-06-16T21:25:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:25:53.666-04:00The one where I had no idea what was in the frame<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404964206/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061612_0023 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061612_0023" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7404964206_35233f5f7c_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 400<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-82200652436799599852012-06-15T21:22:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:23:31.678-04:00A slice of life<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404959288/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061512_0009 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061512_0009" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7404959288_0b98572a8f_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 1250<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-17036243772011690612012-06-14T21:20:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:20:42.423-04:00Baby Feet<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404958704/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061412_0064 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061412_0064" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/7404958704_c11fde4d7b_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.0<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 1600<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-63628145240404620992012-06-13T21:18:00.000-04:002012-06-19T21:18:37.603-04:00Expressive<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7404949432/" style="background-color: white;" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061312_0033 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061312_0033" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7404949432_491721c0a7_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.8<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 800<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-75846673015082866402012-06-12T21:27:00.000-04:002012-06-12T21:27:03.200-04:00Jewelry<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7367198394/" title="processed_wm_kirsten_061212_0011 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_061212_0011" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7367198394_fa5342afc7_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><b><br /></b></div><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 200<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />When I first saw all this silver-colored jewelry sitting in a basket in our bathroom, I knew it would make a good black and white shot. And then I noticed all the story there.<br /><br />My husband's wedding ring.<br /><br />The necklace with my son's name stamped on it, sent to me by someone I had never met but who was moved by our story.<br /><br />The St. Gerard necklace -- the one given to me by the pianist at our church after our son died.<br /><br />The angel wing earrings that I bought because I knew he'd like them.<br /><br />There's lots of love here.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Black and white for emotion. Period.</li><li>With silver or any shiny things in a black and white photo, try boosting the contrast for a little extra drama. I love it!</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-43813983021256483482012-06-11T21:16:00.000-04:002012-06-12T21:20:04.832-04:00My daughter, the posing pro!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7367188916/" title="what a ham! by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="what a ham!" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7367188916_b8828397b5_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 1600<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />My not-quite-5-month-old is now a pro at posing for the camera. No joke.<br /><br />What a ham!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>When it comes to babies, I'm finding that there's nothing quite like getting down on your tummy and getting at their level. I got so many awesome shots when I kept her at eye-level.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-10485289648347626232012-06-10T20:59:00.000-04:002012-06-12T20:59:29.596-04:00Baptism<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7177576655/" title="austen's baptism by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="austen's baptism" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7177576655_8d99972de8_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 500<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />Our daughter was baptized this weekend: white dress, celebration at home, and all.<br /><br />I've been looking forward to this day for a long, long time. We missed out on the communal aspect of baptism with our son. His took place in a NICU room on what we didn't know then was the night before an emergency heart surgery. It was over the hum of machines with only my husband and I in attendance. It was more somber than celebratory.<br /><br />It was hard not to think of him as we prepared for this day, but in the end, it was a pretty fabulous day. She looked adorable in her dress and was chatty and happy the entire time.<br /><br />I captured this moment just before the celebration started. She had just been woken up from a nap and had a tender moment with her daddy before we made our way up the stairs of the Cathedral. I love how the negative space draws extra attention to the tender moment between father and daughter.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Use negative space to add some drama or draw the viewer's eye to something special.&nbsp;</li><li>Black and white adds an extra emotional punch.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-61753598314313806112012-06-09T20:50:00.000-04:002012-06-12T20:52:34.178-04:00Instagram :: Toes are tasty!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://distilleryimage1.s3.amazonaws.com/c36ff610b23a11e1989612313815112c_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://distilleryimage1.s3.amazonaws.com/c36ff610b23a11e1989612313815112c_7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Uh, yeah ... I didn't take any photos with my camera on this day. D'oh!!&nbsp;</blockquote><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"></blockquote><br /><br />kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-63927647752652535452012-06-08T20:40:00.000-04:002012-06-12T20:43:59.503-04:00What tired looks like (self-portrait)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7362797406/" title="processed_wm_kirsten_060812_0002 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_060812_0002" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7362797406_b756cd0203_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 800<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />So, so tired these days. Sometimes I get to the end of the day and realize I haven't even thought of picking up the camera. Most of the time, the munchkin is more than happy to get her picture taken. But in these teething days, she needs to be held and kissed and loved more than she needs another adorable picture of herself.<br /><br />And so I, realizing at the end of the day that I have yet to turn my camera on for anything, find myself the only willing subject. Or maybe it has to do with convenience.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>You may have noticed that my lips don't come together on the right side of my mouth. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. I used to press my lips together deliberately to avoid looking like this. My husband says he likes it -- it's unique. Once upon a time, I would have "corrected" this in post-processing. But now, what you see is what you get. Honesty.</li><li>I think doing just part of a face adds an air of mystery. You question what isn't there, but it's also the case that your focus is more directed. It's not just about what you don't see, but what you're asked to see.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-3067731260371152392012-06-07T20:35:00.000-04:002012-06-12T20:47:07.324-04:00Sleepy girl ...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7362797110/" title="processed_wm_kirsten_060712_0002 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_060712_0002" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7362797110_cedbe6ce69_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/3.5<br />Exposure: 1/15<br />Focal Length: 18mm<br />ISO: 1600<br />Lens: 18-5mm f/3.5-5.6</blockquote><br />This was taken after our baptism class at church. Out past her bedtime, the munchkin fell asleep (and hard) on the way home, still clutching to her favorite toy these days: the ring/rattle on which she has a death grip.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>I tried a couple of different focus points, and ended up liking the one best where the focus point is on the toy in her hand. I think that one works best.</li><li>Looking at this now, I kind of wish I had done this in black and white. I'm starting to feel like the color is a bit of a distraction here.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-60884799800409724032012-06-06T22:13:00.000-04:002012-06-07T22:19:07.431-04:00Move over, Anne Geddes!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7347126726/" title="can't handle the cuteness!! by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="can't handle the cuteness!!" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7347126726_3149b31694_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.2<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 200<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />Sometimes, I just set the baby down and get to clicking. I click away so fast as she moves and laughs and rolls and kicks that most of the time, I don't quite have an idea of what I'm capturing. I don't know if it will be blurry or in focus, or if my focus points are set exactly where they should be. I do my best to make sure this is all ready ahead of time, of course, but the end product doesn't always reflect this.<br /><br />This is not the case here.<br /><br />Set the baby down, got my settings where I wanted them, and went for it. This gem came in the middle of me firing away, not pausing to look at what I was getting. If I had stopped, I would have missed this -- one of the few photos I've taken of her that have me saying, "My work here is done."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Sometimes you just need to click now, and view later. This doesn't always work, but sometimes you risk losing the moment if you stop to view or readjust.&nbsp;</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-7362815779112013892012-06-05T22:09:00.000-04:002012-06-07T22:10:23.043-04:00When I couldn't see a darn thing<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7343512698/" title="this is what mama &amp; austie b do when it's storming outside by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="this is what mama &amp; austie b do when it's storming outside" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7343512698_bf62a29773_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 400<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />I am in love with this photo -- and when I took it, I wasn't looking through the lens at all. I was stretching out my arms in front of me as far as they would go, pointing them at Austen and I. Of course, I had a general idea what would be in the frame, but I had no idea what the focus points would be landing on, and I had little idea what the composition would look like.<br /><br />Not every one was a keeper -- not even close. But this one? This one is perfect. It's luminous. I'm in love with the colors, the expression on her face, the shape of her mouth -- this one little moment in time.<br /><br />And it reminds me that sometimes the best things come when we surrender what little control we possess and just wait to see what happens.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Experiment! Play around. This photo might not have happened at all had not an incredibly stormy day forced us to stay inside all day.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-71142962984422398862012-06-04T22:00:00.000-04:002012-06-07T22:21:09.762-04:00When blurry is good<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7342129408/" title="processed_wm_kirsten_060412_0019 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_060412_0019" height="683" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7342129408_98b449b6e8_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><b><br /></b></div><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 800<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />Since I'm playing catch-up (writing this on ... what day is it again?! ... oh, June 7!?!), I'm not going to say much about this and the next couple of photos.<br /><br />About this one, I will say: I think the blurry hand works because it conveys how fast she's moving and how excited she is. The eyes are in focus, so it certainly helps make it a good photo. I guess a little baby hand can move a lot i 1/40 of a second!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Don't throw away a picture just because there is blurriness in it. As long as the right things are in focus (e.g., the eyes in a portrait), you could still have a keeper.</li><li><br /></li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-15763894595756484532012-06-03T22:27:00.000-04:002012-06-04T08:35:03.168-04:00Good enough to eat!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7332629288/" title="um ... YUM! by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="um ... YUM!" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/7332629288_5a84a76566_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 640<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />Fresh ripe strawberries ... YUM. I admit that when I was getting these ready for a dessert, I couldn't resist (no, I really couldn't!) taking a bite. After all, the cook has to sample the dish she's about to serve, right? I mean, what if it were horrible?<br /><br />Okay, yeah ... I'm not buying it, either. But it is true that these colors together are somewhat irresistible (which is why, perhaps, red, green, and blue are the dominant colors of my kitchen). I left the bitten strawberry in there not only because it adds an element of visual interest, but it hints at just a bit of story, and of mischief as well. The viewer is free to come up with an array of possibilities.<br /><br />I also made use of a considerable amount of negative space in this photo -- in nearly half of the photo, there really isn't anything to look at except for the turquoise cutting mat that serves as a backdrop to the strawberries. It adds some emotional punch and helps draw even more attention to the strawberries. But <b><a href="http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/positive-effect-of-negative-spaces-in-photography/">this guy</a></b> says it better, I think, so you may want to check out what he has to say about negative space in photography and some creative ways to employ it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>I played around a lot with the arrangement of the strawberries, and even took quite a few shots of different arrangements and ones without a strawberry that had a bite out of it. I'm still figuring out what works in terms of photographic set-ups like this one. In the end, I wish that I had put a strawberry that had a stem still on it to be the one that had the bite out of it. I think that would have been a lot better.</li><li>Post-processing is still one of my very best friends! A little unsharp mask, a little cross-processing, and a little vibrancy boost an voila! Stemless strawberry or no, I still want to jump into the photo and consume every strawberry in sight. :o)</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-50398884381976517452012-06-02T21:31:00.000-04:002012-06-03T21:39:07.205-04:00It's a jungle ...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7324298230/" title="it's a jungle out there! by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="it's a jungle out there!" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7324298230_491e6835f7_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.8<br />Exposure: 1/80<br />Focal Length: 70mm<br />ISO: 100<br />Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8 IS</blockquote><br />Zebra pants? <b>Check.</b><br /><br />Orange blanket? <b>Check.</b><br /><br />Way overgrown grass and weeds that must look like a jungle to a baby? <b>Check.</b><br /><br />Put them all together, and look what you've got. Maybe not the cutest thing EVER, but pretty dang cute nonetheless.<br /><br />Dear baby girl, I hated being in front of my dad's camera so much growing up. I hope you don't hate it. I promise to try and make it as fun as possible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned and Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>This photo is really about the zebra pants. Props don't have to look unnatural or artificial.</li><li>Color: don't be afraid. Have fun with it. If there's a secondary thing this photo is about, it's the color. I mean, look at how that green and orange pop!</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-1291312557231999712012-06-01T21:57:00.000-04:002012-06-01T21:57:00.211-04:00Green!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7317729490/" title="raining outside by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="raining outside" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7317729490_4e2f346fa1_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.8<br />Exposure: 1/40<br />Focal Length: 200mm<br />ISO: 100<br />Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8 IS</blockquote><br />Water droplets are among my favorite things in the world to photograph. What in the world is it that makes them so endlessly fascinating? Every time it rains, it's like they're little jewels making everything they touch glitter.<br /><br />When I processed this one, I sharpened the heck out of it. I figured I could afford to since the ISO was set nice and low and the aperture was open wide as it could be -- I wasn't really afraid of it getting too grainy-looking. Then I enhanced the greens. And that's pretty much it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>A photo need not have anything especially complex about it to be beautiful.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-2058117502962708862012-05-31T22:32:00.000-04:002012-05-31T22:32:27.548-04:00All bundled up<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7311900580/" title="processed_wm_kirsten_053112_0029 by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="processed_wm_kirsten_053112_0029" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7311900580_17e9a0205f_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/50<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 1000<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />The mama is especially exhausted tonight, so I hope you'll forgive the lack of storytelling while I get up and go snuggle against that sweet, sleeping baby.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned and Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Cropping can help it improving the composition and feel of a photo.</li><li>I still say that going monochromatic in processing (e.g., sepia, black and white) will let you feel the photo rather than just seeing it. It's not that there's no feeling in a colorful photograph -- I think it's just that the lack of color helps distill the emotion more.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-37943897094356225802012-05-30T23:22:00.000-04:002012-05-30T23:25:20.351-04:00Things I want to remember<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7305870956/" title="hands by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="hands" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7305870956_a7265facbb_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/7.1<br />Exposure: 1/60<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 100<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />I love her little hands and her long fingers. I love her luminous skin, the way it feels, and the way it smells. I love the way she grabs things right now, unrelenting, digging her fingers into bibs and burp rags, clutching teethers and toys.<br /><br />There are a lot of technical reasons I chose this photo -- the colors are amazing, the lighting is perfect, the composition works. Those are all things that you want in any photograph.<br /><br />But mostly, I choose it because I don't ever want to forget this.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Take pictures of anything and everything you care about. Sometimes just walking around with the camera is a great way to learn what strikes your fancy.&nbsp;</li><li>Don't be afraid to make something &nbsp;you wouldn't necessarily expect the subject of your photo. A baby clutching a bib? Yeah, why not!? <i>God is in the details</i>, as they say.</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-14795150498331726492012-05-29T23:00:00.003-04:002012-05-30T10:13:42.723-04:00Morning Rain<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7299256072/" title="morning rain by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="morning rain" height="683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7299256072_7be80f0528_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo</b><br />Aperture: f/2.5<br />Exposure: 1/60<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 100<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br /><br />Have you noticed how in love with this lens I am? Just about everything happens with the 50mm f/1.4. Though a macro lens is better for this kind of photography (if you really, really want to get the finer details of things), the 50mm does a decent job of capturing details -- one of my favorite things to photograph.<br /><br />I am admittedly a sucker for blossoms, for raindrops, and for that dreamy, creamy bokeh in the background. The only reason you haven't gotten more photos like this one is that I've got an adorable 4-month-old who steals the show.<br /><br />This one seems pretty basic to me, so I don't know what else can be said. I set my focal points on the blossoms and went for it. I will add that since the shots where the lighting was set at the midpoint of the histogram looked overexposed to me, I did bump up the shutter speed so that they showed a bit on the darker side of the histogram. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>You can have too much of a good thing -- even bokeh. Now you know I love me some good bokeh, but for this one I put the aperture down to 2.5 so that I would still get some good bokeh, but would have a wider bit of the picture in focus. Since there were multiple blooms at play, I wanted at least a couple to be crisp and clear.</li><li>Post-processing really can really make a photo pop. Before I processed this one, the green was dull and boring. I love how vibrant it looks here.</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qq7ISMrsjO8/T8WN3Gz9JRI/AAAAAAAABrg/DqGi6VQcvok/s1600/kirsten_052912_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qq7ISMrsjO8/T8WN3Gz9JRI/AAAAAAAABrg/DqGi6VQcvok/s640/kirsten_052912_0018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before post-processing</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848214077629348098.post-5635733942645714862012-05-28T23:05:00.000-04:002012-05-28T23:06:06.391-04:00The Kitchen Sink<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmichelle/7291904206/" title="art in the kitchen sink by kirsten.michelle, on Flickr"><img alt="art in the kitchen sink" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7291904206_92d7013c08_b.jpg" width="683" /></a><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>About This Photo:</b><br />Aperture: f/1.4<br />Exposure: 1/2500<br />Focal Length: 50mm<br />ISO: 1600<br />Lens: 50mm f/1.4</blockquote><br />I <i>love </i>water splashing photos. Water is fascinating to photograph. Depending on your settings, you can make it look soft and lacy, or you can make it look like this: seeing little droplets frozen in mid-air.<br /><br />I've been wanting to try to take a good photo water in action for awhile. But to get water splashing, you need a lot of light coming into the lens and a really fast shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed (this shot was taken at 1/2500 of a second), there is obviously less time for the light to get in to take the shot. I didn't have any special lighting set up, so I opened the aperture as wide as it would go, bumped up the ISO to the maximum, and set the shutter speed at a speed that was fast enough to capture the droplets without also going too dark.<br /><br />The photo ends up with a somewhat noisy (i.e., "grainy") look because of the high ISO, but in this case I think it kind of works -- makes it feel kind of nostalgic somehow. Ideally, it would be great if it looked smoother, but sometimes I'm okay with a little imperfection.<br /><br />You know how it is: <i>just keepin' it real.</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><br /><b>Lessons Learned or Affirmed:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Everyday moments like doing to the dishes can afford new and interesting opportunity to expand one's photography skills. I got so wrapped up in taking photos of water, I forgot why I had it running in the first place.</li><li>If you're going to do a picture like this of splashing water, try LOTS of different shots lots of different ways. Out of a hundred or so shots that I took of the water, this was the only one that I felt like was worth sharing.&nbsp;</li></ul>kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09789771023962578029noreply@blogger.com0